Railroad tank-car.



Nb. 738,261. PATENTED SEPT. 8,-1903.

J. W. VAN DYKE.

RAILROAD TANK GAR. APPLICATION FILED 001228, 1902.

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PATENTED SEPT. 8,1903 J. W. VAN DYKB.

RAILROAD TANK GAR.

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UNITED STATES ilatentecl September 8,

JOHN IV. VAN DYKE, OF LIMA, OHIO.

RAILROAD TAN K-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 738,261, datedSeptember 8, 1903. Application filed October 28, 1902. flerial No.129,174. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern. Be it known that 1, JOHN W. VAN DYKE,citizen of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allenand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailroad Tank-Oars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to cars with tight tanks in the form ofhorizontal cylinders of large capacity for the conveyance of oil onrailroads. IIeretofore (see my prior patent applied for June 25, 1902,by application officially serially numbered 113,083 to issue of evendate with the patent hereon) I have devised a new or improved car ofthis description in which I dispense with the underframe previouslyemployed to uphold the tank and to support the severe stresses ofcompression and tension incident to the coupling, shifting, and haulingof such cars in trains and rely upon the tank tosustain the weight ofitself and contents and also to support the said stresses of compressionand tension. The present invention has more particular reference to suchnew or improved cars; but the parts, improvements, and combinationscomposing the present invention are intended, all and several, to besecured for all the uses to which they may, respectively, with orwithout modification, be applicable. I

In accordance with the present invention the bottom plate at each end ofcar is made to project beyond the head of the tank, and this projectionis utilized for the following purposes or one or more' of them, namely:(a) for forming a platform beyond the tank, and thereby diminishingtheliability of tanks of two cars coming together; (1)) for holding upthe draw bar; (0) for supporting stresses conveyed thereto from acouplerbuffer that is,a coupler and a buffer, either or both, and (d)for supporting parts of the brake mechanism. It is considered moreadvantageous as conducing to strength and economy of construction tohave the bottom end plate thus to project than to attach an exteriorprojecting plate to a tank of the old construction in which the bottomendplate terminates at the tank-head with or without being bent upwardover the front of it for a short distance. So far as I am aware it isnew, broadly, to construct the tank of any railroad tank-car with abottom end plate projecting beyond the tank-head, as above set forth.Further, in accordance with the present invention, in order that theplate projection may better serve the purpose of protecting the tankfrom injury by contact with an adjacent car said projection is providedwith a deep upturned flange, so that there is less danger of the saidprojection riding over or under the corresponding part on an adjacentcar. Such an upturned flange could be usefully applied to aplate-projection which might be formed otherwise than by an extension ofthe bottom end plate of the tank. It is considered most ad vautageous tomake the flange a separate piece--a casting, for eXampleand to fastenitby rivets, for example-to the projection. Further, in accordance withthe present invention, in order to obtain a greater ratio of strength toWeight a separate top plate for securing the coupler-buffer to the tankis dispensed with and side plates for this purpose are fastened to thebottom end plate of the tank, each by itsindividual flange.Aspecialimprovement is to provide the side plates with an end piecewhich may be integral with the upturned flange of the projecting bottomend plate of the car. It is also considered most advantageous to fastenthe side plates to the body bolster of the car and to effect suchfastening by lapping said plates on vertical flanges projecting forwardfrom the bodybolster. The bottom end plates should be made of thickermetal than other plates composing the tank.

The invention also consists in other new parts, improvements, andcombinations, as herein specified.

The following description, with the accompanying drawings, illustrateswhat is considered the best mode of carrying the invention into effect,it being understood that modifi cations can be made so long as thesubstance of one or more of my hereinafter-written claims is taken.

Figure 1 is a partial side View, partly in section and partly inelevation, of a railroad the middle of the car.

tank-oar constructed in accordance with the invention. Figs. 2 and 3 aredetail views of the tank discharge-pipe adapted to support the middleportionof the train-pipe. is a diagram of the brake mechanism, a portionof the connecting-rod between the body brake-levers being broken away.Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a plan, partly in section, and a bottomview of a portion of said car, the draw-head shown in Fig. 5 beingomitted in Fig. 6. Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are views of the same, ornearly the same, portion of the car, Fig. 7 being a sectional view online A A of Figs. 5 and 8, Fig. 8 an end view, Fig. 9 a section on lineB B of Fig. 7 looking to the right, and Fig. 10 the same. sectionlooking to the left.

The tank a is a horizontal metal cylinder of curved plates lapped,riveted, and calked. The bottom end plates 2 are heavier than customary,being, say, of about three-quarters of aninch, more or less, inthickness. The middle bottom plates may be about half as thick and thecrow n-sheets somewhat less. The tank is shown with a dome and convexends as customary. The bottom end plates 2 instead of terminating at thecorresponding tank-heads are made to project beyond said heads.

Under and secured to each bottom end plate 2 are the side plates 21,through which the coupler-buffer is connected with the tank a. Each sideplate 21 has a curved top flange, Figs. 9 and 10, by which it is securedby rivets to the corresponding plate 2. It is secured, Fig. 6, to thisplate partly beyond (outside) the tank-head and partly behind thesame-that is, between the tank-head and The coupler-buffer could be ofthe friction type or the spring type or of any ordinary and suitabledescription. As shown, the draw-bar e, provided with a coupling-head dat its outer end and the looped strapfat its inner end,'acts upon thesprings g, which are placed between followers 71, these latter beinginclosed by the strapf and one pair of them being between the inner endof the draw-bar and the stops 62 on strapf while the other pair arebetween said stops 62 and the closed end of said strap f. The motioninward of the inner and the motion outward of the outer follower of eachpair is prevented by the stops 22 on the side plates 21 or by the endsof the flanges 17 of the body-bolster b. The stops 22 are made ofcastings riveted tothe side plates. The ends of the followers it restupon the rods 63, removably supported by the castings, which form thestops 22. The draw-bar is upheld in part by the strapf, resting onthefollowers h, and in part by the removable cross-pin 65, which passesthrough holes in the front end of the side plates. As the flanges of theside plates 21 are riveted to the portion of each bottom end plate whichprojects beyond the tankhead, such projection aids in supporting thestresses conveyed from the coup Fig. 4. I

ler-buffer. As the cross-pin 65 is upheld by devices-namely, the plates2lsecured to the said projection, the latter aidsin holding up thedraw-bar e. As the projection lies beyond the tank-head, it makes aplatform which diminishes the liability of two tanks meeting when thecars come together, which they may sometimes do with violence. That theprojection may better serve the purpose of protecting the tank frominjury it is provided with a deep upturned flange 80, consisting, asshown, of a separate piece with flanges 81, by which it is secured tothe bottom end plate, and with buttressing-ribs 82, by which it isbraced.

At the outer end of each pair of side plates 21 is an end piece 83,integral with the upturned flange 80. It forms a guide for the end ofthe draw-bar to prevent too extensive side motion thereof, and it alsoimparts to the ends of said side plates a greater resistance to lateralpressures.

The tank a is mounted on wheeled trucks (of any ordinary or suitableconstruction) by means of body-bolsters b, which are riveted to thebottom end plates 2 of the tank by means of the respective curved topplates 9 of the body-bolsters. The body-bolsters rest on thetruck-bolsters c by their center-bearings 4. and have side bearings 6 toaid in upholding the tank when its equilibrium isdisturbed. A king-pin 8passes through the center'bearings of each body-bolster and theunderlying truck-bolster. Atr is shown the channeliron connecting theside frames (not shown) of each truck. The position of the wheels isindicated by the dotted circles.

Each body-bolster b has forwardly-projecting vertical flanges l7, andthe inner ends of the side plates 21 are lapped upon and riveted to saidflanges 17, so that the body-bolsters aid in communicating stresses fromthe couplerbuffers to the bottom end plates. The body-bolsters may be ofany suitable description, and they, as well as the side plates 21, maybe of any suitable material. It is considered expedient to make thebody-bolsters in the form of castings and the side plates 21 of pressedsteel or wrought metal. The upturned flange 80 and the end piece 83 maybe cast.

As a safeguard against leakage, by the starting of a rivet or otherwise,patches or cover-plates 9' of sheet metal are secured inside the tankover the areas of fastening the side plates 21 and body-bolsters b tothe bottom end plates 2. The patches are secured by rivets and calked.The rivets (see Fig. 7) are inserted through holes in the curved flangesof the side plates 21, so that should the side plates be torn off in awreck the rivets holding the inside patchesj are not disturbed and thetank remains tight. The

rivets which secure the tank-heads to those portions of the bottom endplates 2 which overlie thecurved flanges of side plates 21 are alsoinserted through holes in the said curved flanges, so as not to bedisturbed by accident to the side plates.

The body brake-levers 37 and 38 are mounted on the body-bolsters. Thelever 38 is pivoted at its inner end toalug 84, and its outer end issupported'by the lower member of the.

' Fig. 4 is that of inside hung brakes, the live and dead brake-leverstand s, respectively,

on each truck being connected by a strut 33.

At 34 is indicated the link for holding the upper end of the deadbrake-lever s. For a hand-brake the lever 37 is connected by the rod 40with the brake-chain 43, running over the brake-chain pulley 45 to theaxle 44, mounted on the tank-head and provided with the usual hand-wheeland retaining-ratchet. The brakechain pulley is carried by a bracketarranged under the projection of the bottom end plate 2 of the tank andsecured thereto by rivets. For an air-brake thecylinder u and theauxiliary reservoirw with triple valve 00 are suspended by hangers fromthe tank a. The areas of fastening may be protected by one or more tightinside patches, such as the patches j, above described.

, The train-pipe z is upheld at each end of the car by a clip engaging alug 86 on the corresponding end piece 83.' It passes through a hole inthe web of each body-bolster b and is upheld at'the middle by thebracket 87, Figs. 2 and 3, on the tank discharge-pipe 58, being securedthereto by the clip 88.

At 89 is a lug for attachingthe chain of the cover (not shown) for pipe58.

At 90 is a hook for supporting the brakerod 39 between the bodybrake-levers. In this way said rod is (in part) upheld by the tankdischarge-pipe 58.

In consequence of official requirement the subject-matter of the presentapplication as originally filed has been divided and in part embodiedinmy application,Serial No. 158,018, filed May 20, 1903, which is adivision and continuation hereof. The patent to issue on it of even datewith the patent on my application Serial No. 113,083 and with the patenthereon is in legal effect intermediate the said patents, beingsubsequent to the patent on application Serial No. 113,083 and prior tothe patent hereonthat is to say, Whatever of inventive novelty iscontained in application Serial No. 113,083 is intended to be secured bythe patent to issue on it. Whatever is contained in application SerialNo. 158,018 and not in application Serial No. 113,083 is intended to besecured by the patent to issue on application Serial No.158,018,

and whatever is contained herein and not in one or other of saidapplications Serial Nos. 113,083 and 158,018 is intended to be securedby the patent to issue hereon.

I claim as my invention or discovery- 1. A railroad tank-car having atank with a bottom end plate which projects after the manner of aplatform beyond the tank-head, substantially as described.

2. A railroad tank-car having a tank with a bottom end plate whichprojects beyond the tank-head, such projection carrying devices forholding up the draw-bar, substantially as described.

3. A railroad tank-car having a tank with a bottom end plate whichprojects beyond the tank-head, such projection having secured theretodevices through which stresses are transmitted from the coupler-buffer,substantially as described. I

4. A railroad tank-car having a tank with a bottom end plate whichprojects beyond the tank-car, such projection carrying devices wherebythe draw-bar is upheld and through which stresses are transmitted tosaid projection from the coupler-buffer, substantially as described. p

5. A railroad tank-car having a tank with a bottom end plate whichprojects beyond the tank-head, such projection supporting a part of thebrake mechanism, substantially as described.

6. A railroad tank-car having a tank with a bottom end plate whichprojects beyond the tank-head, such projection supportinga part i of thebrake mechanism and carrying devices whereby the draw-bar is upheld andthrough which stresses are transmitted to said projection from thecoupler-buffer, substantially as described.

7. A railroad tank-car having a tank with a bottom end plate whichprojects after the manner ofa platform beyond the tank-head and which isprovided with a deep upturned flange as a protection against over orunder riding, substantially as described.

8. A railroad tank-car having a tank with a plate projection beyond thetank-head, and a deep upturned flange on said projection as a protectionagainst over or under riding,substantially as described.

9. A railroad tank-car having a couplerbuffer held by side platesfastened, each by its individualiiange, to the bottom end plate of saidtank, substantially as described.

10. A railroad tank-car having a couplerbuffer held by side platesfastened, each by its individual flange, to the bottom end plate of saidtank and provided with an end piece between the side plates,substantially as described.

11. A railroad tank-car having a tank with a projecting bottom endplate, to which plate the coupler-buffer is attached partly beyond andpartly behind the tank-head, substantially as described.

12. A railroad tank-car having a tank with lIO ' each by its individualflange, to said bottom end plate partly beyond and partly behind thetank-head, substantially as described.

13. A railroad tank-car having a tank with a projecting bottom end plateand a couplerbuffer held by side plates which are fastened, each by itsindividual flange, to said bottom end plate partly beyond and partlybehind the tank-head and which have an end piece between said sideplates, substantially as described.

14. A railroad tank-car having a tank with a projecting bottom end plateand a couplerbu Ker held by side plates which are fastened, each by itsindividual flange, to said bottom end plate partly beyond and partlybehind the tank-head and which have an end piece between said sideplates, the projecting portion of said bottom end plate being providedwith a deep upturned flange, substantially as described.

15. The combination with a plate projection on the tank, and side platesfor the coupler-buffer, of an end piece secured between said sideplates, and a deep upturned and braced flange secured to saidprojection, said end piece and flange being integral with each other,substantially as described.

16. The combination with the tank, and the body-bolster secured thereto,of the side plates for the coupler-buffer secured to the bottom endplate of said tank, each by its individual flange, and being each at itsinner end lapped upon and fastened to an outwardly-projecting verticalflange on the said body-bolster, substantially as described.

17. The combination with a tank having a projecting bottom end plate,and a body-bolster, of brake mechanism partly supported by theprojecting portion of said bottom end plate and partly by thebody-bolster, substantially as described.

18. The combination with a tank having a projecting bottom end plate anda central discharge-pipe, of an air-brake mechanism having a train-pipeheld partly by the projection of said bottom end plate and partly bysaid discharge-pipe, substantially as described.

19. A railroad-carcomposed of a tight metal tank in the form of aself-supporting horizontal cylinder with bottom end plates projectingafter the manner of platforms beyond the tank-heads, mounted on-wheeledtrucks, and provided with coupler-buffers secured to said tank in suchmanner that the stresses of tension in hauling and of compression incoupling, stopping, and, pushing are borne and transmitted by said tankitself, instead of by an underframe, substantially as described.

20. Arailroad-car composed of a tight metal tank in the form of aself-supporting horizontal cylinder with bottom end plates projectingvsgeei beyond the tank-heads, mounted on wheeled trucks, and providedwith coupler-buffers secured to said bottom end plates partly beyond andpartly behind said tank-heads in such manner that the stresses oftension in hauling and of compression in coupling, stopping, and pushingare borne and transmitted by said tank itself, instead of by anunderframe, substantially as described.

21. A railroad-car composed of a tight metal tank in the form of aself-supporting horizontal cylinder, mounted on wheeled trucks, andprovided with coupler-buffers held by side plates, each fastened by itsindividual flange to a bottom end plate of said tank in such manner thatthe stresses of tension in hauling and of compression in coupling,stopping, and pushing are borne and transmitted by said tank itself,instead of by an underframe, substantially as described.

22. A railroad-car composed of a tight metal tankin the form of aself-supporting horizontal cylinder with bottom end plates projectingbeyond the tank-heads, mounted on wheeled trucks,and provided withcoupler-bu ffers held by side plates, each fastened by its individualflange to a bottom end plate of said tank partly beyond and partlybehind the corresponding tank-head in such manner that the stresses oftension in hauling and of compres- 5 sion in coupling, stopping, andpushing are borne and transmitted by said tank itself, instead of by anunderframe, substantially as described.

23. A railroad-car composed of a tight metal tank in the form of aself-supporting horizontal cylinder, mountedon wheeled trucks, andprovided with coupler-buffers held by side plates, each fastened by itsindividual flange to a bottom end plate of said tank with end piecesbetween the respective pairs of side plates in such manner that thestresses of tension in hauling and of compression in coupling, stopping,and pushing are borne and transmitted by said tank itself, instead of byan underframe, substantially as described.

24. A railroad-car composed of a tight metal tank in the form of aself-supporting horizontal cylinder with plate proj ections beyond thetank-heads and deep upturned flanges on said projections to protectagainst over or under riding, mounted on wheeled trucks, and providedwith coupler-buffers secured to said tank in such manner that thestresses of tension in hauling and of compression in coupling, stopping,and pushing are borne and transmitted by said tank itself, instead of byan under-frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. VAN DYKE.

. Witnesses:

W. M. IRISH, Gno. LEE SOUTHARD.

